buyers remorse

[4xforfun]

I am in the process of having a gun built by Clay Spencer. Bat 8.5 round 1.55 inch action, Shehane mbr 1000 tracker, 30 inch 1-10 spencer bbl, vias brake, Nightforce NSX 8-32, ect... It will be a legal 17lb lt 1000 gun. I have never shot a match, but would like to some day. Primary use will be long range hunting out of our "SHOOTIN SHACK" and at my 1200 yard range. I am very excited about this gun.

The problem is that I already have a LR rifle, 300 spencer built 10 lb non braked rem 700 in 300 wby, 210 bergers @3030 fps that shoots .5 - .6 3 shot groups to 1000 yds in benign conditions (2.am...no wind...no mirage). Once in a while I can manage 1/4 min if I am haveing a good BAG day. I have used it to take deer at looooong ranges. My hunting buddys are saying that I am wasting $4,500 and realy not gaining anything with another 300 wby.

My question....without wasting my smiths time with 500 questions is...SWITCH BBL RIG. Have another bbl, and possably buy another bolt, and move on up to a big .338. I know that you can build as big as a .408 size cartrige with this action. But... another $500 for a bolt, plus whatever else that needs to be done on top of the cost of another bbl, brake, chambering, indexing. ect... is a big step. I have been looking at the 338 EDGE. Same bolt!!! But, using my Infinity program, and 3000 fps as a goal for the Edge, I don't see a big advantage over a 210 30 cal at 3050 except in energy.

Does anybody have any imput....comments....ect. Have I lost my mind completely.

Again, this is going to be a LR rig for killing furry critters. Some that dig holes, and some that have horns.

And please, no speaches on weather or not it is "ethical" or not. I have thousands or rounds down range at 1000k or further and know my place on the food chain!!!!

 

[NYLES]

I will make one suggestion move this post to gunsmithing...and see what some of the smiths in here might advise on.....and there are some wildcats out there thatll eat a 300 weatherby.

 

[mikenc]

4Xfor

Seems to me a different caliber is the way to go. If you already have a 1,000 yard 30 caliber, I suggest moving up to the 338 or some other cartridge anyway. Just seems un neccessary to have multiple guns in the same chamber, especially at $4,500 a pop.

 

[davewilson]

we need to know what your idea of long range is. give us a range and the animals you want to hunt. you say a 338 isn't much different than your 210 at 3050. they might be similar ballistically, but in terms of killing power, a 300 gr 338 SMK and soon others in that caliber that are similar, will kill with a whole bunch more authority than a 30 caliber. a 338/378 with a long barrel is quite a hammer but when you already have the action it seems like a waste not to go with the 338/408 class of round. with 2 other bullet makers coming out with great long range bullets for the 338, it's the way to go until some good options are there for the 375 caliber. until then, the 338/408 is the A,T, and T of long range hunting!

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Problem??

Man I wish I had your problem's. How do you sleep at night!! That 338 would sure be nice. Tom.

 

[4xforfun]

I had Spencer put me on the list last year for another 30 cal because I had just under 1000 rounds (moly) down this pipe already and had planed a prarie dog trip for this summer. I figured that I would have my current bbl about shot out & have a new one waiting to go on. The trip got canceled, and at that time I found the BAT on benchrest central for a steal so I jumped at it. I will admit that I am an ACCURACY NUT, and 99 out of 100 LR smiths will tell you that 30 cals will outshoot .338 time and again simply because of the quality of the bullets. 1000 yd match results don't lie. Actualy, I am shooting my own theory in the foot because of the growing popularity of the 6.5's. So I made plans to build somthing that would be fun to shoot off the bench and kill a few critters for PETA"S sake. Also, I just figured that my smith could simply open up the boltface for a larger shell (lapua,.416, 378, or 408) if I decided to build a "HAMMER". WRONG!!!!! I should have thought things out a little.

So now I Have the 30 cal bbl, which I am sure Spence would take back since it still is a blank. I own the BAT with a magnum bolt face which Bill Shehane has already inletted a stock for and would need a new bolt if I were to build a BIG hammer. I really want a rifle capable of shooting screamer groups (This gun should shoot rings around my trued remington simply because it will ride the bags a whole lot better), But I also want a "HAMMER". That is where a switch bbl rig would be nice.


As far as my idea of long range??? I would consider 500-600 yds a chip shot. I had my (now X) wife, who had never shot a center fire rifle, and hadn't shot a .22 for 10 years, kill a buck at 529yds (aimed neck shot). One shot, off of my bench setup in my shack. 700-800 I would prefer a spotter, or at least snow, since my gun kicks the sh#t out of me, and if something bad happens I need to know!! I have only fired three rounds at deer at over 1000 yds. The first was with snow and 2 spotters at a measured 1029. 3-5mph 3:00 wind . 1 shot kill. I fired 2 rounds at a big doe at 1150, no spotter or snow in a 10 mph cross. I made her nervous, but I had no idea where I was hitting. Any more shooting would have been a complete wast of time! OR WORSE, a bad hit!

Is this a "real problem"? NO!! But neither is global warming. Could someone save me a call to BAT and Spencer and tell me if this is even possable. Even with a different bolt, could the same gun shoot a 300 wby & , say a 338-408 wildcat, or is it just not possable-feasible to do so?

THANKS FOR LISTINING TO MY MINI-RANT